Puzzle Fighter vs Puyo Pop

I have been playing the heck out of Super PUzzle Fighter II for the GBA and have pretty much mastered it, beating it with all characters on the hardest difficulty. So I'm looking for a new puzzler that's just as fun and addicting as SPFII.

I was wondering if you recommend Puyo Pop for the GBA and out of these two, which game you think is better and why?

Does Puyo Pop have better or worse graphics?

Is the gameplay deeper than Super Puzzle Fighter?

Are there countdown blocks like in SPF?

Can you do chains?

Is is it easier or harder than SPF?

Puyo Pop by a mile. Puyo Puyo is simply a much deeper, more strategic game. The abundance of modes, excellent presentation, and single-cart 4 player are icing on the cake.

Puzzle Fighter can sometimes be a slightly better multiplayer experience simply because it takes less skill and the matches tend not to be as lopsided. Much like how playing Street Fighter 3 against someone who isn't that good, Puyo Pop can be punishing to the newcomers against a seasoned opponent. Of course if you have some good competition it's a completely different ball game.

The one major flaw with Puyo Pop is that the AI is considerably less intelligent than previous games in the series. In particular, it doesn't seem to know to avoid the "kill" spot and will sometimes suicide when there is still room to drop other peices. But on highter difficulties, particularly in the secret stage, it puts up a good fight despite this.

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Originally Posted by isamu

Does Puyo Pop have better or worse graphics?

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Puyo Pop has very lovely visuals and is nicely presented around an entertaining story mode.

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Is the gameplay deeper than Super Puzzle Fighter?

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Infinately deeper. Puyo Puyo is the chess of puzzle games.

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Are there countdown blocks like in SPF?

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No, there are different penalty blocks you drop on your opponents in Puyo Puyo. Puyo Pop has a few variants of these that mix things up.

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Can you do chains?

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They're the center of the gameplay. Chaining is crucial, and learning to set up chains is the key to mastery.

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Is is it easier or harder than SPF?

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I'd say it's harder to master, but the AI is kinda dumb so they end up being about even, I'd say.

Puyo Pop is definently a far better game. It's surprisingly deep, and it's always so fun to try and beat your chain record (I love building it up so the entire screen is almost covered, and then letting it go for one massive chain) and the story is cute. The multiplayer is FAR better than SPF. SPF has unlockables, but it also only has: Story, Arcade, Multiplayer, Practice. What's a puzzle game without timed mode or endless mode?

Puyo Puyo always felt a little too random to me, at times. A scrub could sit there randomly placing shit only to have everything fall into place, wrecking your planned chain. It happened far too often for my liking, but maybe that is just me not being fast or good enough. *shrug* SPF2 is no better in the randomness department, and the catch-up in Puyo is usually much less severe than it is in SPF2 (where being one move from winning and losing looks exactly the same).

Some of the added rules from the later games (the Sun puyo, Fever mode) are just plain dumb, though. Fever mode was cool as a training drill (learning what patterns of puyo actually work well and how resiliant some patterns are relative to others), but in-game it was really stupid. ZOMG guaranteed damage!

If nothing else, the story mody is an absolute riot.

-Dippy

Now, see, I'd say that Puzzle Fighter is the bigger scrub game, while Puyo Puyo is the game where if you know your stuff, you can kill your opponent so bad you'll make them cry.

I say, both are fun, own and enjoy them both. Puyo is a bit more "think before you drop," while Puzzle Fighter is, at least when a game is good, "drop stuff like mad in a rush to get the diamond and then destroy your opponent."

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Originally Posted by Dipstick

If nothing else, the story mody is an absolute riot.

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I still love the storyline scenes from Puyo Puyo Tsu.

Puyo Puyo rules because if you know what you're doing you can UNLEASH HELL on your opponent.

Great replies guys. The recommendations are appreciated. It's interesting how the folks on the IGN board beg to differ on this subject. Here are some replies from over that you may feel free to comment on....

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Puyo Pop is a little basic. You can wrack up combos and the characters are cute, but it's not particularly deep. If you haven't played it, I'd pick up a Tetris Attack game (Pokemon Puzzle Challenge is probably the best version available).

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puyo pop is fun but its can get boring fast. I suggest chu chu rocket.

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Puyo Pop is pretty much an unrefined version of Puzzle Fighter. If you've already mastered PF, then Puyo Pop is going to seem overly basic and boring to you.

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I always prefered Puzzle Fighter myself, theres just more in the game. Puyo Pop is a bit of a stepdown I normally find.

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I always preferred SPFII as well. It just seemed more fun to me. However, that said, I second the vote for Chu Chu Rocket. That game has ridiculous replayability. It literally has thousands of puzzles to solve.

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I like Puzzle Fighter better, though hardcore puzzlers will say it's too random.

I second the vote for Pokemon Puzzle Challenge.

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Now...I'm trying to figure out why they may have this opinion. Anyone care to take a guess? And where does Chu Chu Rocket fit into all this? Is that another Tetris style puzzler?

Anyway been scouting around for Puyo Pop today and none of the stores I've called in LA have it. Arrgh :(

Chu Chu Rocket is a totally different kind of game. It is also a "puzzle" game, in the general sense, but not "puzzle" as in Tetris / Puyo / Puzzle Fighter / Etc.

I think the reason that Puzo isn't as well liked is because, to a lot of people, it comes off as being overly simple. There aren't a lot of fancy gimmicks or whatnot in it, so people think there isn't a lot to it - put four colors together, and that's it. That isn't what Puyo is about, though. Puyo is all about combos, and because of the way the game works, it takes a bit of skill (I think) to pull off the more worthwhile stuff. Sure, you can just toss colors together and hope to get something, but I don't think this is anywhere near as effective as in a game like Puzzle Fighter.

Here is a little guide that I wrote up before, giving some basic tips for Puyo Puyo. It'll give you a bit more of an idea of what kind of game Puyo is.

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Originally Posted by shidoshi

Chu Chu Rocket is a totally different kind of game. It is also a "puzzle" game, in the general sense, but not "puzzle" as in Tetris / Puyo / Puzzle Fighter / Etc.

I think the reason that Puzo isn't as well liked is because, to a lot of people, it comes off as being overly simple. There aren't a lot of fancy gimmicks or whatnot in it, so people think there isn't a lot to it - put four colors together, and that's it. That isn't what Puyo is about, though. Puyo is all about combos, and because of the way the game works, it takes a bit of skill (I think) to pull off the more worthwhile stuff. Sure, you can just toss colors together and hope to get something, but I don't think this is anywhere near as effective as in a game like Puzzle Fighter.

Here is a little guide that I wrote up before, giving some basic tips for Puyo Puyo. It'll give you a bit more of an idea of what kind of game Puyo is.

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Good post and thanks for the link. Just out of curiousity, did you do a review for Puyo Puyo(any version) in any issues of GF? I'm curious to know if the series has been around that long and if there was ever a review in Viewpoint for it. If so I'd be interested in knowing what issue it was and who wrote it.

I just wanted to pop in to commend isamu for putting together a well though out post to ask for opinions. Well done, soldier.